Originally published in USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Contributed by Daniel Fusch.
We are pleased to share that USA Today recently featured In-Place Machining Company in an article exploring the growing importance of skilled trades and technical careers amid ongoing workforce shifts across the United States. The piece highlights how industries such as manufacturing, power generation, and critical infrastructure continue to depend on skilled technical professionals—and how trade and industrial careers can offer meaningful opportunities for younger generations, women, and individuals seeking rewarding career paths without necessarily following a traditional four-year college route. Through hands-on training, apprenticeships, and technical development, many industrial careers provide opportunities to build highly specialized skills while supporting some of the country’s most essential industries.
FEATURED ARTICLE
How Trade Careers Are Offering Real Opportunity Amid Workforce Shifts and Why More Young People Should Take Notice
Conversations around the future of work often center on disruption, automation, and uncertainty. Headlines frequently focus on job displacement and shifting economic conditions, leaving many individuals, particularly younger generations, searching for direction. For many workers, that uncertainty may no longer feel abstract; it feels immediate, personal, and increasingly difficult to plan around. Within that landscape, a parallel reality is taking shape across industrial sectors, where demand for skilled talent continues to grow with little public visibility.
Dina Maihi, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at In-Place Machining Company, points to a growing disconnect between where talent is being directed and where opportunity already exists. She explains that entire sectors are actively seeking skilled professionals, yet awareness remains limited. “There are thousands of roles in industries supporting critical infrastructure,” she says. “People are asking where the opportunities are, and in many cases, they simply have not been shown where to look.”
That conversation is central to the work of In-Place Machining Company, which provides specialized industrial services for large, high-value equipment that must be repaired or restored on-site or in-shop. The company supports sectors such as energy, aerospace, defense, and heavy manufacturing through field and shop machining, engineering, and precision measurement work that helps keep critical infrastructure operating. According to Maihi, that environment gives employees exposure to highly technical projects where practical skill and problem-solving carry real operational consequences.
Data reflects this imbalance. According to a report, the manufacturing sector could require as many as 3.8 million new workers by 2033, with around 1.9 million jobs potentially remaining unfilled if talent challenges are not addressed. That shortage points to a widening gap between where opportunity exists and where most people are being encouraged to look.
Dean Flint, President and CEO, sees this gap as both a challenge and an opportunity. He explains that the work carried out in specialized industrial fields requires problem-solving, adaptability, and technical understanding. “The work demands a high level of thinking and precision,” he says. “It is built around solving real problems in environments where the outcome matters.”
Maihi believes that long-standing perceptions have shaped how these careers are viewed. From her perspective, the issue is not whether the work carries prestige or complexity, but whether people have ever been given enough exposure to see that for themselves. She emphasizes fields in which teams can find themselves contributing to major industrial and scientific initiatives, working in environments connected to advanced engineering, national infrastructure, and large-scale technical collaboration.
In some cases, she notes that this work intersects with globally recognized research and infrastructure projects, where multidisciplinary teams come together to solve highly complex technical challenges. “These are careers where you are working alongside highly skilled teams on complex systems,” she says. “You are part of projects that carry real scale, real consequence, and real technical credibility.”
That matters even more at a moment when many traditional early-career roles are being reshaped. According to a report, 41% of jobs in high-income countries are exposed to generative AI, and women are more exposed to Gen AI than men in 88% of the sampled countries, with higher exposure to automation, particularly in clerical and administrative occupations. This concentration can place added pressure on pathways that have often served as entry points into the workforce, raising new questions about long-term stability and access.
At the same time, economic and structural barriers continue to shape how individuals approach career decisions. According to a report, participation in adult learning remains limited, with only around 40% of adults engaging in any form of learning each year, while cost and time constraints remain among the most significant barriers to accessing training opportunities. These constraints influence how individuals evaluate their options, often pushing them toward pathways that offer earlier workforce entry and clearer financial outcomes.
Flint explains that these roles also provide exposure to environments where innovation and infrastructure intersect. According to him, individuals entering the field gain experience working on projects that require both technical skill and situational awareness. “You are applying knowledge in real time,” he says. “Each situation brings a new set of conditions, and that is where experience develops.”
For Maihi, the conversation also extends to representation and access. She highlights that many women remain concentrated in administrative or entry-level roles, areas that are increasingly influenced by automation and digital systems. That reality, in her view, makes visibility into alternative pathways more urgent rather than less. “There is a significant opportunity for women to step into these roles,” she says. “These are careers that offer financial stability, progression, and the ability to build something meaningful.”
Maihi believes that advancing gender diversity across industries can be a key factor in strengthening workforce resilience and expanding talent pipelines. She explains that many individuals simply have not encountered these career options during formative decision-making years. According to her, professions such as medicine, law, and finance are widely visible, while specialized industrial roles such as trade machinists trained through apprenticeships, metrology technicians, and machine alignment specialists often remain behind the scenes. “If people are not aware of the path, they cannot choose it,” she says. “Awareness changes what feels possible.”
Flint adds that the future of these industries depends on attracting individuals who are willing to engage with complex challenges. He explains that the work offers both responsibility and progression for those entering the field. “There is a clear need for skilled professionals who can step into these environments,” he says. “The opportunity is there for those who are prepared to take it on.”
Maihi notes that shifting the narrative requires moving beyond general encouragement and toward practical visibility. She emphasizes that people are seeking direction that feels tangible and achievable. “This is a real path with real outcomes,” she says. “It offers a way to build a career that is both intellectually engaging and financially sustainable.”
As workforce conversations continue to evolve, these perspectives suggest that opportunity is not solely defined by emerging technologies or new industries. “The opportunities are already here,” she says. “The real shift happens when more people can see them, understand them, and choose to step into them.”
We are proud to see greater visibility being given to the skilled trades and technical careers that help keep critical industries operating every day. We appreciate the opportunity to contribute to the conversation around workforce development and the future of industrial expertise in North America.
To learn more about career opportunities at In-Place Machining Company, please visit www.inplace.com/careers/.
